Graduate School
Application
Planning
Presented by:
Patty Dang, M.S.
Career Development
Services Counselor
Please make sure you print
Graduate School Application
Planning Web PowerPoint Guide
found on the Career Development
Services Website.
It is crucial you complete the
workshop guide to supplement the
self-guided process. The content
and structure of this self-guided
workshop might be different than
similar documents from an inperson workshop. Please contact
Career Development Services if
you have any questions regarding
the information presented in the
www.csuci.edu/careerdevelopment
guide or workshop.
Learning Objectives
Identify the key factors in pursuing an
advanced degree
List two graduate school resources
provided by Career Development Services
Reflect on the timeline process of preparing
for graduate school testing.
Agenda
Key Factors To Consider: Slides
When To Attend
Testing
Application Timeline
Graduate School Resources
Why Graduate School?
• Going to graduate school is a major commitment of time
and money; this decision should not be taken lightly.
• It is generally not advised to attend graduate school
because you “thought you were supposed to” or don’t
know what else to do.
• You will face several years of intense work, research and
a more demanding course load than in your
undergraduate program.
• It is extremely important to be sure and committed before
deciding if graduate school is your next step.
Why Graduate School?
The following is a list of reasons why graduate school might
be ideal or potentially beneficial:
• Career Goal
• Compensation
• Staying Marketable
What is your reason for attending graduate school?
It is important to complete your answer in the guide before
moving to the next slides
Career Goal
• Earning a graduate degree that is part of your plan
to reach a specific and carefully thought out
career goal is a very legitimate reason for
attending graduate school.
• There are several professions that require a
graduate degree or credential program.
Attorneys, K-12 teachers, doctors, psychiatrists or
Marriage & Family Therapists are just a few
professions that require a graduate or professional
degree.
Career Goal
• If you are unsure or have doubts about your
professional goals, going to graduate school is not
going to help you find your career.
• Questions or concerns regarding graduate school,
should be addressed with faculty in professions you
are considering or working with a Career Counselor
to help you figure out your career interests and
goals.
• Attending graduate school without a clear specific
career goal, can potentially lead to lower
motivation and program drop-out.
Career Goal
• There are many careers that offer job opportunities
that don’t require an advanced degree.
• In some situations, having an advanced degree
can actually hurt you in a job search if you have
little or no job experience related to your graduate
or professional degree.
• You don’t want to be classified as overeducated
and under experienced.
• Employers prefer education but require direct and
related skills and experience for their competitive
position.
Compensation
• Most studies show that people with advanced
degrees earn more on average than those with
only a bachelor degree.
• A college master's degree can be worth $1.3
million more in lifetime earnings than a high school
diploma Recently reported from the U.S. Census
Bureau.
• However, increase in compensation depends on
the position and or industry.
Compensation
• The Masters in Business Administration can really
mask national salary averages. For example, a
person with a MBA with 3-5 years of experience
might be making 65-150,000. While a person with a
Masters of Social Work with 3-5 years of experience
is making 35,000-80,000.
• It is best to know in advance what kind of extra
compensation you could get with an advanced
degree. Researching the average income for
those who have advanced degrees compared to
those who do not within the same profession and
• Learn more about Salary Comparisons at NACE
Staying Marketable
• For some professions without an advanced degree
continued advancement is limited.
• You may need to earn an advanced degree to
keep your training and skills current to make you
more marketable for career advancement. In the
corporate world, you may hear people talking
about “hitting a ceiling.”
• Getting a graduate degree is not required for
many "entry-level" jobs.
Staying Marketable
•
•
Have an employer pay for your advanced
degree. Example: An engineer at Qualcomm in
San Diego could not get a management position
until he had a Master’s in Engineering. His
executive team offered to pay for his advanced
degree and guaranteed him a management
position when he completed his degree.
Is an advanced degree a tool in advancing your
career?
When should you attend
graduate school?
• One of the questions most often debated is when is
the best time to consider a graduate degree. Is it
better to attend graduate school right after you
complete your bachelor's degree?
• Or is it better to wait a few years and gain some
work/life experience first?
• As mentioned above, certainly do not consider
going immediately to graduate school as a default
move -- or to avoid getting a job.
Immediately
Pros
• Accustomed to being a student and have momentum
• Study Skills are sharp
• Few or less obligations
• Occupations that require advanced degrees for “entrylevel” positions
Cons
• Could choose the wrong program = spending money
and time on wrong profession
• Not a competitive candidate to admissions committee
without work experience
• Unlikely to fund entire tuition and expenses
After Work Experience
Pros
• Confirmed your career goals through hands-practical
experience
• Completed the needed work experience to apply for graduate
programs
• Bring actual work experience to the theory you will learn in class
• Some employers may pay for partial or all of your tuition
• Financial stability
• Improve chances for acceptance to graduate programs
Cons
• Struggle with study skills
• Work, life & school balance
• Attending class and working with students significantly younger
• Leave a paid position to complete an internship opportunity.
During Entry-Level Career
Pros
• Locate employers willing to pay for your education while you
work
• Financially stable while concurrently working on improving your
skills
• Minimal student loans
• Know you already have a job after graduation
Cons
• Balancing work and education simultaneously.
Types of Tests
Which tests should you take?
Depends on the university/college and each
program has different requirements. Check program
requirements found on the application website. Don’t
assume, Find out!
Typical tests include:
• GRE General Tests
• GRE Subject Tests
• LSAT – Law School
• MCAT- Medical School
• GMAT – Business Schools
Test Preparation
Self- Study Options:
• ETS website – offers practice test and registration
information.
• Test books- fairly comprehensive & offers a variety
of practice tests.
Preparation Classes (community college courses):
• Los Angeles Pierce College’s Extension offers a 2part prep-test, 1 for verbal and analytical and the
other on quantitative (math) course at $109 per
course. If, you discover that you only need the
verbal and analytical scores you may only need to
take 1 course.
Test Preparation
Private test-prep schools:
• Kaplan offers up several options including premium
services that provides a money-back guarantee.
However, their services can cost anywhere from
$300 to several thousand dollars. If you are
interested in obtaining high score results, Kaplan is
ideal. But, the price for achieving a particular score
with Kaplan is fairly expensive.
• For more information please visit their website.
Test Preparation Costs
•
•
•
•
ETS Website – free
Test books ($10-$30)
Test-Prep classes ($109-$218)
Private test-prep ($500-several thousands)
Graduate School
Application Timeline
Research
• Select programs and schools of interests
― Recommend 3-5 schools
― Average acceptance is 15%
• Find out about pre-requisites & special requirements
• Application requirements & deadlines
• Visit school’s website & contact admissions counselors.
• Every school and program is different
• Should start research 10 months prior to application
deadline (February-July of the previous year for Fall)
Graduate School
Application Timeline
Testing
• Study for exam (May-August = Jan 15 deadline)
― 6-8 months prior to application deadline
• Pay & Schedule ETS (3weeks-2months prior to exam
day)
• Take the Exam 2-3 months prior to application deadline
• Anticipate the possibility of retesting
― Pro: Improve better scores
― Con: cost
• Meet with admissions counselor for specific program
questions & attend a campus visit.
Graduate School
Application Timeline
Letters of Recommendation
• Start around the same time you are taking the GRE or waiting
for the results
• Contact Professors and Supervisors
― Who really know you & speak on your behalf
― Can highlight the best qualities, & fill in any gaps,
questions, or concerns
For example if you are applying for a MBA graduate program
and you excel in the business courses but, your English courses
are average. An admissions counselor is going to be
concerned that the student might not do well in writing papers
for their master’s thesis. However, if you get a letter of
recommendation from your English professors explaining how
well you have excelled in your last couple English courses, it
alleviates their concerns regarding your writing ability.
Graduate School
Application Timeline
Letters of Recommendation
• Avoid getting a letter from someone who doesn’t know you
well, or someone who can not speak about your ability to
excel in your education
• Personal friends, relatives and mentors who are ill-informed
about your academics or hasn’t supervised you, have very
little impact on the admissions committee.
Graduate School
Application Timeline
Letters of Recommendation
• Provide Summary & Transcripts to the writer
― Detailed information about yourself
― Reason you are applying, goals, and interests
― Don’t assume that your letter writer knows everything
about you and only has only good things to say, they
may have concerns. For most circumstances you can
address any issues and communicate what information is
relevant to focus on in the letter of recommendation.
― It is common for faculty to write letters that indicate they
know little about the student, without the above
information.
• Request letters 6-8 weeks in advance
Graduate School
Application Timeline
Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement
• Research school information to draft essay. Include:
― Faculty and program information
― Mission of the department and institution
• Speak with an admissions counselor, visiting the campus and
meeting the faculty and staff has a significant advantage to
those who don’t.
• Write Rough Draft (summer)
― Ideal time to write is 6 months in advance
• Review & Edited by Faculty and Graduate Writing Studio
― Roughly 3-4 months before the application deadline
Graduate School
Application Timeline
•
•
•
•
•
Attend Graduate & Professional School Fairs
Meet with Enrollment Advisors and learn about
graduate school programs
Get tips and additional help for the application
Check GRE test results with Enrollment Advisors
Participate 1 year before you plan to attend
graduate school
CDS hosts this event only during the Fall Semester.
Graduate School
Application Timeline
Submit your Application
• Majority of graduate program deadlines occur December 1January 15
― Double check each program, deadlines may vary
• Need to apply to both the university and department
― May have separate deadlines & requirements
• Send 1-2 weeks early
― Double check materials before you send application out
― Have another person double check your materials
• Interviews occur 2-4 months after application
deadline(typically March-May)
― Stay in contact with the admissions advisors for updates
Graduate School Resources
How to get help…




Career Development
Services
Advise on Application
process
Graduate & Professional
School Fairs
Provide external
resources and referrals
Conduct Mock-interview
& preparation
information
Faculty





Expert knowledge in
career specific industry
Share personal careerpath
Research
information/opportunity*
Student selection
process*
Review Essays*
Graduate School
Resources
Career Development Services Offers:
• Graduate School Bound Program
• Graduate School Application Advising
• Graduate School Handbook
• Eureka Career Cruising Resources
• Weekly Resume Clinics and Drop-in Counseling
Graduate School
Resources
Graduate School Bound Program
• Incorporates 6 detailed modules covering the topics of
testing, application process, financial aid, and writing a
personal statement or statement of purpose.
• The Graduate School Program is a hands on approach,
that is not replaceable with a workshop or single
counseling session. Please visit our website for more
information.
Graduate School
Resources
Graduate School Application Advising
• Visit us during Drop-in Career Counseling.
• One-on-one appointments are available to all of our
current students unable to attend Drop-In Career
Counseling.
― Please keep in mind that appointment slots are
limited. Scheduling well in advance with the Career
Center is highly recommended.
― It is important that you come to the appointment
with questions and a list of schools or programs you
are interested in exploring.
Graduate School
Resources
Graduate School Handbook
• The handbook provides a basic overview of the
graduate school application process as well as
graduate school resources.
Eureka & Career Cruising Resources
• An excellent online resource that can help you locate
and research graduate school programs.
• Also provides admission counselor's contact information
for you to get your specific questions answered.
Graduate School
Resources
Weekly Resume Clinics and Drop-in Counseling
• Designed to help you create a polished resume or CV
for graduate school application.
• Opportunity to ask questions, and finalize your
application process
CDS Programs &
Events
Employer Interviews
• An opportunity to help you prepare for graduate school
or job interviews with a local employer, staff or faculty.
Graduate School Panel
• Provides advice and insight on the application process
and tips to successfully navigate graduate school from
admission counselors, current graduate students, &
other key staff and faculty members
CDS Programs &
Events
Graduate & Professional School Fair
• 50+ graduate programs/schools attend this annual
event to provide students answers and insights.
Graduate & Professional School Week
• Programs and services that includes the fair, panel,
workshop, and Drop-In Career Counseling/Resume
Clinic to help you prepare for the Fair.
Resources to help you …
Career Development Services can support you in
career exploration, planning and preparation!
Career Development Services Website Facebook: go.csuci.edu/cdsFB
Twitter: go.csuci.edu/cdstweet Linkedin: go.csuci.edu/linkedingroup
Questions?
Visit us during Drop-in Career
Counseling
Amanda Carpenter, Ed.D.
Assistant Director of Career Development
Services & Henry L. "Hank" Lacayo Institute
Internship Program
California State University Channel Islands
Bell Tower 1527
(805) 437-3565 (office)
amanda.carpenter@csuci.edu
Career Development Center
California State University Channel Islands
Bell Tower 1548
(805) 437-3270 (office)
(805) 437-8899 (fax)
career.services@csuci.edu
Schedule & Availability can be
found on our CDS Website
Patty Dang, M.S
Career Development Services Counselor
California State University Channel Islands
Bell Tower 1521
(805) 437-3544 (office)
patty.dang@csuci.edu
Please help us provide better Career
Development content and services by
completing a 3-7 minute survey
Complete CDS Survey